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Defensive end Kentavius Street is making his 49ers practice debut this week as he recovers his rookie year from knee reconstruction. (Cam Inman/Bay Area News Group)

Defensive end Kentavius Street is making his 49ers practice debut this week as he recovers his rookie year from knee reconstruction. (Cam Inman/Bay Area News Group)

North Carolina State defensive lineman Kentavius Street is seen at the 2018 NFL Scouting Combine on Sunday, March 4, 2018, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Gregory Payan)

Dazz Newsome #19 of the North Carolina Tar Heels makes a catch against Kentavius Street #35 of the North Carolina State Wolfpack during their game at Carter Finley Stadium on November 25, 2017 in Raleigh, North Carolina. North Carolina State won 33-21. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)

Boston College wide receiver Thadd Smith (18) rushes with the ball against the defense of North Carolina State defensive end Kentavius Street (35) during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 11, 2017, in Boston. (AP Photo/Mary Schwalm)

North Carolina’s Elijah Hood (34) runs the ball as North Carolina State’s Kentavius Street chases during the first half of an NCAA college football game in Chapel Hill, N.C., Friday, Nov. 25, 2016. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

Kentavius Street #35 of the North Carolina State Wolfpack tackles Charone Peake #19 of the Clemson Tigers during their game at Carter-Finley Stadium on October 31, 2015 in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

DeShone Kizer #14 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish is forced out of the pocket and tackled by Kentavius Street #35 of the North Carolina State Wolfpack during the game at Carter Finley Stadium on October 8, 2016 in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)

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SANTA CLARA — Kentavius Street, a super-strong defensive lineman, is among the 49ers’ great personnel mysteries for their 2019 comeback tour.

Thursday, the redshirt rookie put his right hand in the turf, lowered his hulking 6-foot-2 frame and slammed forward into the blocking sled while shuffling to his right. Then to his left. Then again to his right.

Shuffling is the key right now. He is debuting in practice this week, having been relegated to the side field all year to prepare his reconstructed right knee, which is wrapped in a black, extra-large brace.

The strategy of taking an ACL-recovering player backfired under former general manager Trent Baalke. Street, eight months into the NFL, plans to reverse that trend.

“I’ve heard all about it,” Street said of the 49ers’ ACL history. “And I’m definitely looking forward to changing that expectation, setting things forward the way they should be.”

Claiming he’s two to three weeks ahead of schedule, Street has had company in ACL recovery and fielded questions “all the time” by two high-profile teammates, Jimmy Garoppolo and Jerick McKinnon. “We’re basically a little squad,” said Street.

He has impressed teammates and coaches with his work ethic. Buckner makes sure to include him in the defensive line meetings and off-field events, and Arik Armstead tutors him as a potential “big end.”

Street won’t play in the remaining three games, but defensive coordinator Robert Saleh is excited to see him regaining his athleticism. Said Saleh: “All that stuff will come back as he gets more comfortable with his knee, but what he showed on tape in college was a lot of explosiveness, great body balance, good lean, quickness and the big thing is strength.”

Fellow rookies Mike McGlinchey and Fred Warner shared tales of how strong Street is, from benching over 500 pounds to his legendary squat power at North Carolina State, which included a 700-pound lift last year; Street currently is not doing squats.

“Honestly I think I may come back stronger,” Street said. “Through this whole process, there’s been a lot of isolated muscle groups – hamstrings, gluts. I’m not doing these big, powerful lifts anymore.”

Regaining mobility is a bigger priority. He got robbed of that working out for the Giants. Then came the draft, and as he sat in a recliner at home in North Carolina with his mother and sisters, he thought he’d go undrafted. A couple 49ers assistants talk to him at the combine, back when his agent told him his draft stock was as a low first-rounder or high second-round.

Warner said of Street, his roommate during the spring workouts: “He’s a quieter dude, real humble. He eats the weights.”

SHERMAN & SEAHAWKS: Richard Sherman wasn’t wrong in calling his ex-team, the Seahakws, “middle of the road” when they took a 6-5 record into their Dec. 2 game against the 49ers. But the Seahawks took umbrage and vented after Monday night’s win over the Minnesota Vikings.

“At the end of the day, ‘middle of the road,’ that’s Richard Sherman being Richard Sherman. He’s not in this locker room anymore, so his opinion really doesn’t matter,” Seahawks defensive end Clark said, per the Seattle Times. “You know what I mean? They’ve got problems over there in San Fran that he needs to be worried about. At the end of the day, this is my team now. This is my defense. Richard Sherman and his era is over here.”

Sherman agreed, saying Thursday: “It doesn’t bother me. The era was over in my mind, obviously. I’m here.” The “nostalgia” of facing his old team is also over, he said, thanks to Dec. 2, a 43-16 loss that left a “sour” taste.

As for the Seahawks rise from mediocrity to playoff contention, Sherman noted: “In this league, if you don’t end up with the trophy, then how great was your season, anyway? We’re fighting. We’re struggling, dealing with injuries. There’s only one team that ends up with the trophy. Unfortunately it won’t be us this year. We’ll see if it’s them.”